Printing wirelessly?

[adrianse]

I'm assigned the chore of getting everyone at work wireless access to our Hewlett Packard 4000N laser printer which does not have a USB port, only parrallel. I have limited network experience but I did build my first PC following this website, so I am capable. I just need some links or advice on wireless networking solely for a printer. We're talking wireless access to the HP printer for about 20 different laptops. So here are my questions:

Is there such a product that will give me my wireless connection that doesn't require a PC or do I HAVE to have a PC hooked up to the printer for my laptops to print to it? If I do need a PC, I would use a dedicated one. Any suggestion on a ultra-cheap tower that would handle it would be great.

Can the range on the wireless printer routers be "turned down" so that it will only capture signals from say 50 feet away? I need to make my range as limited as possible.

I have used link sys products in the past, but I don't know what hardware to get. If some can give me a list of what I'll need, I would appreciate it. I know each laptop will need a wireless card, or the built in card. I would appreciate any links too.

Thanks

adrianse

[Ob1]

use a wireless print server if you dont have or dont want to use another printer as the print server.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833127071

it can be a little bit of pain to get this setup and working properly, i prefer using a pc as the print server then just sharing out the printer, and attaching each pc to it.

[newbuilder14]

Do you have a wireless network? Do you have one old, useless PC haning around? What you can do is attached an old PC connected to your wireless network, to the printer, and simply print through the old PC. I print through my wireless network sometimes. It amazes me. :)

[adrianse]

Thanks for the replys. Looks like that D-link is just what I need. Thanks again.

adrianse

[glc]

The 4000N has an internal Jet Direct print server. Just connect the Ethernet port on the printer to your wireless router. Install the HP software on all the laptops, tell it that it's a network printer and it will go out and find it. If you don't want to install the full CD and would rather use the add printer wizard, assign the printer a static IP using the front panel controls - it's under EIO configuration - then add the printer using a LOCAL port (UNCHECK plug and play) - then add new port - standard TCP/IP port.

[adrianse]

Thanks GLC. One more question I came up with though.

Can I buy a splitter so that if someone isn't able to print via the print server, they can still hook up directly to the printer via parralel port?

In other words, I still need people to be able to connect the old way in case of technical emergency and I'm not around to fix it. So I figure I need a splitter of some sort.

Thanks
adrianse

[adrianse]

Is this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833127071

the same as this only with USB support? I want to be sure before I order it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833127155

Thanks

adrianse

[newbuilder14]

Only one link is working. If your printer has an ethernet port, it would be smart to get the print server you listed and use the ethernet connection, thus leaving the parallel port for emergencies.

[adrianse]

Good idea, I just want to be sure that the print server I'm choosing does not require a dedicated PC or any PC for that matter, b/c we don't have one. The two d-link models, the DP-G321, and the DP-G301 both appear to not require one, I just want to be sure before ordering. The product description for the DP-G321 is a little more obscure on the topic than the other description is.

adrianse

[glc]

BEFORE you buy a print server - LOOK at the rear panel of the printer - does it have an Ethernet jack? The 4000N should have shipped with a print server already installed!

If so, refer to my prior post, connect the Ethernet jack to your wireless router. Yes, the parallel port will still work too. You can leave a parallel cable connected and coiled up on the table.

If the print server module is missing, you can get a refurbed Jet Direct card to put in the slot in the same price range as a good external print server and it will work better. I do not like using cheap 3rd party print servers with HP business class laser printers.

http://www.buyprinters.com/item.asp?referid=160162161159&id=677

[giuseppe]

How do you assign the a static IP address to a networked printer. I have a Dell Laser and everytime I turn off my router I have to reconfigure my networked computers so that it will print to the networked Dell.

[Ob1]

easiest way is to print a configuration page for you networked printer to determine the ip address of the printer, then open up a web browser to configure it with a static ip address.

or scroll through the menus directly on the printer to locate the option to setup tcp/ip settings.

[giuseppe]

I know its current IP address. How do I make it static? When i try to change IP address to manual it asks for a password that I have never set.

[Ob1]

which dell printer do you have?

have you tried admin for the password

[giuseppe]

I have the 3000cn. Yes I tried admin for password. When I went to the printer status page, I found the server settings tab and tried to manually set an IP address. I got a window saying I needed a password. So I went to the set password page. Here the password was blank, so I wrote and confirmed a new password but when I tried to apply the setting I got the same window asking for a password and using admin, or administrator with a blank password or the new one I tried to set didn't work. Sort of a Catch 22 situation.

[Ob1]

Clear NVRAM

You can restore the original factory default menu settings by initializing NVRAM.

1. Press Menu.

2. Press until Configure appears, and then press or .

3. Press until Maintenance appears, and then press or .

4. Press until Init NVRAM appears, and then press or .

5. The Init NVRAM Are you sure? message appears on the operator panel. Press .

6. Turn off the printer, and then on again.